From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, May 2: Prospects of expansion of the D V Sadananda Gowda ministry have surfaced yet another time. But this time, the Karnataka BJP President K S Eshwarappa has indicated that DVS Cabinet will be expanded within 15 days.

Eshwarappa said the Chief Minister would hold talks with the party high command and expand his cabinet in the next fortnight.

Some party legislators were involved in a signature campaign to put pressure on the party’s central leaders to give their nod for the expansion of the Cabinet, he said.

Asked whether the Cabinet expansion was delayed on account pending court cases against former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa said there was no connection between the two.

Several legislators have been campaigning hard to become ministers and the Cabinet would be expanded after consulting leaders in the Delhi, he said.

Asked if new faces would be inducted, Eshwarappa said: ''Nothing can be ruled out.”

''There is every possibility of dropping some ministers and infusion of fresh flood into the ministry to refurbish the Government’s image and performance,” he said pointing out that portfolios of some of the ministers were likely to be reshuffled.

The State BJP Chief said the exercise can be termed as cabinet expansion and even reshuffle. ''We want to tone up the administration as the assembly polls are due next year,” he said.

Asked about the support extended by a couple of MLAs and a MP to the padayatra launched by the former minister B Sriramulu, Independent MLA, Eshwarappa said the party high command has been informed about the issue and leaders would take a suitable action against such erring MLAs and the MP.

He said a convention of the Scheduled Castes would be held in Mysore on May 18 and a convention of the Yuva Morcha would be held in Mangalore on May 21.

Meanwhile, a group of ''like-minded” BJP MLAs, led by State BJP General Secretary C T Ravi, held a second meeting here and said 49 legislators have signed a memorandum seeking expansion of the State Cabinet.

Ravi, who was flanked by S Shivanna, Appachu Ranjan, Chandrakanth Bellada and D N Jeevaraj, urged the party high command to permit the chief minister to expand his cabinet.

The memorandum signed by MLAs would be submitted to the Chief Minister and K S Eshwarappa and sent by post to the party high command, they said.

With a year to go to elections to the Legislative Assembly, they said ministerial berths to be given to those MLAs who are loyal to the party and popular among different cross-section of communities.

''Social justice and regional representation should also be taken into account during the Cabinet expansion," they said.